Manipur insurgents order shutdown to protest Modi’s visit

Imphal, March 13: The Coordinating Committee (Corcom) formed by six proscribed underground organisations in Manipur on Tuesday called for a 17-hour shutdown in Manipur to coincide with the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Corcom said the shutdown will come into effect from 1 a.m. of March 16. It appealed to the people not to participate in official functions and said examinations and other essential services will be exempt from the proposed shutdown.

On the other hand, the Joint Action Committee protesting against the “forcible” inauguration of Mapithel dam has called for a 48-hour general strike in Manipur, which will end on March 16 midnight.

Modi is scheduled to arrive in Imphal on March 16 morning on a one-day visit and will lay the foundation stones of a slew of projects, including a sports university.

The Prime Minister is also slated to address a public event at Luwangshangpham ground in Heingang constituency of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on March 16.

He will also inaugurate the 10th Science Congress on the Manipur University campus.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the home portfolio, has ordered state and central forces to beef up security in and around Imphal to maintain law and order.

Police has been carrying out searches in trouble-prone areas ahead of the VVIP visit.

Official sources said additional security forces from other districts had been deployed in the areas which Modi and Singh will visit.

Bengaluru, March 19: In a big move, Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Monday agreed to grant a separate religion status to Lingayat community.

“Based on the recommendations of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, the state cabinet has unanimously decided to grant the status of a religious minority to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of 12th-century social reformer Basava’s ideologies),” state Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra told media after the cabinet meeting.

The state cabinet has also decided to forward the commission’s recommendations to the Centre for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act, he said.

“The minority status has been granted on the Commission’s view that a proper recognition is to be given to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, on condition that the recognition would not affect the rights of other minorities in the state,” Jayachandra asserted.

The Lingayat section, which believes in worshipping Shiva as the universal god, say they were founded by the 12th -century social reformer, Basavanna.

New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Monday admitted the petition filed by Hemraj’s wife Khumkala Banjade challenging the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the double murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic helper Hemraj.

In December last year, Khumkala moved the apex court against the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar by the Allahabad High Court.

Besides this, today the top court also accepted the plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Earlier this month, CBI had approached the Supreme Court challenging Talwars’ acquittal in the killing of Arushi and Hemraj.

The Talwar couple, who were accused in the murder, walked free from the Dasna jail after the Allahabad High Court acquitted them of charges of their daughter’s murder, setting aside the CBI court’s earlier order in October 2017.

Talwar’s teen daughter Aarushi Talwar was found dead inside her room with her throat slit at Noida’s Jalvayu Vihar in May 2008.

Nearly two days later, the deceased body of their domestic helper was recovered from the terrace of the house.